Folding umbrella



T. E. GOGGIN.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-23.1918.

1,31 6,478. Patented Sept. 16,1919.

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45/ M M QTM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. eoeem, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. GoccIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Folding Umbrellas, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to folding umbrellas of that type in which each rib is made of two sections pivotally connected together and arranged so that the umbrella is folded by folding the lower sections of the ribs outwardly and backwardly upon the upper sections. The object of the invention is to provide a novel means for locking the rib sections in their straightened position and for releasing the outer rib sections when it is desired to fold the umbrella.

In order to give anunderstanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the draw ings some selected embodiments thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a view of the pivoted ends of the two sections of a rib showing them locked in straightened position or in the position they assume when the umbrella is open;

Fig. 2 shows the rib sections unlocked and indicates in dotted lines the manner in which the rib may be folded;

Fig. 3 is an underside view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinalsectional view of one end of the upper rib section;

Fig. 6 is a view of the locking member;

Fig. 7 is a View showing a diflerent form of the invention.

Each of the ribs of the umbrella comprises the upper section 1 and the lower section 2 which are pivotally connected together at 3. 4indicates the usual'strotcher. The lower or outer section 2 of the rib is formed at its inner end with the U-shaped portion 5 which embraces the end portion 6 of the upper rib Section 1, the pivot 3 eX- tending through the sides of the U-shaped portion 5 and through the portion 6, thus pivotally connecting the twosections together. The U-shaped section 5 is provided with a heel portion 7 which preferably ex tends beyond the pivot 3 and which rests Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 16 1919,

Application filed December 23, 1918. 7

Serial No. 267,913.

against the under face 8 of the portion 6 when the rib is straightened. The rib is locked in its straightened position by a swinging locking member 9 which is adapted to engage the heel 7 and which is pivotally connected to the upper rib section 1.

The portion 10 of this upper rib section im mediately back of the portion 6 has a U- shape in cross section and the locking member 9 is situated between the sides of this U-section and is pivotally connected thereto IVhen the umbrella is to be folded, the

looking member 9 is swung about its pivot 11 in a direction to move the extremity thereof away from the heel 7, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby permitting the outer rib section 2 to be folded backwardly against the H outside of the rib section 1, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. This unlocking or releasing movement of the lock 9 may be provided for in various ways without departing from the invention. In Figs. 1 and '2 I have shown a construction wherein the looking member is provided with an inclined slot 24 and the sides of the portion 10 are provided with another slot 15, said slots being arranged to reoeivethe pivot pin 16'by v which the stretcher is pivoted to the upper rib section. The end17 of the stretcher is forked and the sides of the fork embrace the portion 10, andthe pivot pin 16 extends from one flange of the fork 17 tothe other through the two slots 24 and 15. When the umbrella is in normal use the pivot pin 16 will be situated at therea r ends of the slots 24 and 15, as shown in Fig. '1, but if said pin is moved to the opposite end of the slot 15, then the action of the pin against the lower wall of the inclined slot 24 will swing the locking member 9 about its pivot into the position shown in Fig. 2 thereby releasing the heel of the lower rib section 2. When the umbrella is to be folded, it is first shut in the usual way and then the runner to which the stretchers a are attached is pulled toward the end of the handle thereby to move the pin 16 to the outer end of the slot 15, as shown in Fig. 2, this operation swinging the locking member 9 out wardly into its inoperative position because of the inclination of the slot 24. IVhen the locking member has thus been moved into its inoperative position, the end sections 2 of the ribs may be folded outwardly and backwardly against the upper sections 1 of the ribs.

In unfolding the umbrella, it will first be held in a vertical position so that the outer ends of the ribs will fall by gravity down into line with the upper or inner sections of the ribs and the. runner to which the stretchers are attached will be drawn toward the end of the handle so as to swing the locking members 9 into their unlocked position. This permits the outer sections of the ribs to fall freely into complete alinement with the upper or inner sections thereof. After the ribs have thus been straightened, the runner to which the stretchers are attached will be moved upwardly, this operation resulting in swinging the locking mem- Ibers 9 into their operative locking position against the heels 7 of the outer rib sections.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated another embodiment of the invention wherein the looking member 9 is provided at its inner end with a projection 20 which is constructed to engage the stem 21 of the umbrella when the latter is shut. In order to fold an umbrella embodying this construction the latter will first be shut and this will bring the projections 20 of the locks into contact with the stem 21. Then by applying inward pressure on all the ribs at this point, such as could be accomplished by grasping the umbrella in the hand and squeezing the ribs together with the. fingers and thumb, the locks will all be swung as indicated in Fig. 7 thus releasing them from the heels 7 so that the outer ends of the rib sections may be folded.

The shape of the face 25 of the rear end of the portion 5 is such that it acts as a cam to force the locking members into their inoperative position when the outer sections of the ribs are swung down into position in line with the upper sections so that in case the locking members are not carried into their inoperative. position by drawing on the runners as above described, the operation of iuifolding the outer sections of the ribs will positively more the locking members so as to permit the ribs to be straightened. After the heels have passed by the ends of the locking members then they will be returned to their locking operative position.

I claim:

1. In a folding umbrella, the combination with a rib comprising two sections pivotally connected together, the inner end of the lower section being provided with a heel portion, of a stretcher pivotally connected to the rib and a locking member separate from the stretcher and pivoted to the upper section and adapted to engage said heel portion of the lower section thereby to lock said sections in straightened position.

'2. In a folding umbrella, the combination with a rib comprising two sections pivotally connected together, the lower section having.

a heel portion at its inner end, of a locking member pivoted to the upper section of the rib and adapted to engage said heel portion, and a spring acting on said locking member and yieldingly holding it in Opera tive position.

3. In a folding umbrella, the combination with a rib comprising two sections pivotally connected together, the lower section being provided at its inner end with a heel which extends beyond the pivot, of a locking member pivoted to the upper section and adapted to engage said heel thereby to lock said sections in straightened position, and a stretcher pivotally connected to the upper section and adapted by its movement relative thereto to swing the lock about its pivot thereby to release it from the heel said locking member being separate from the stretcher.

4. In a folding umbrella, the combination with a rib comprising two sections pivotally connected together, the outer section having at its inner end a heel portion which projects beyond the pivot of a locking member pivotally connected to the upper section and adapted to engage said heel portion to hold the ribs in straightened position, said locking member having a slot, and said upper section also having a slot which is non parallel with the slot in the locking member, and a stretcher pivotally connected to the upper member by a pivot pin which extends through said slots whereby movement of the pivot pin in the slot of the upper member will swing the locking member into and out of operative position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS E. GOGGIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

